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Saurolophus
| image = Saurolophus.jpg | image_caption = A restoration of Saurolophus osborni | image_width = 240px | regnum = Animalia | phylum = Chordata | ordo = †Ornithischia | subordo = †Ornithopoda | familia = †Hadrosauridae | subfamilia = †Saurolophinae | tribus = †Saurolophini | genus = †''Saurolophus'' | genus_authority = Brown, 1912 | type_species = Saurolophus osborni | type_species_authority = Brown, 1912 | subdivision_ranks = Referred species | subdivision = * Saurolophus angustirostris (Rozhdestvensky, 1952) * Saurolophus osborni (Brown, 1912) }} Saurolophus (meaning "lizard crest") is a genus of large hadrosaurine duckbill that lived about 69.5-68.5 million years ago, in the Late Cretaceous of North America and Asia; it is one of the few genera of dinosaurs known from multiple continents. It is distinguished by a spike-like crest which projects up and back from the skull. At 40 feet (12 meters), Saurolophus was one of the larger of the hadrosaur family. Saurolophus was an herbivorous dinosaur which could move about either bipedally or quadrupedally. The type species, S. osborni, was described by Barnum Brown in 1912 from Canadian fossils. A second valid species, S. angustirostris, is represented by numerous specimens from Mongolia, and was described by Anatoly Konstantinovich Rozhdestvensky. A third species, S. "morrisi" from California, was a nomen nudum as of 2011, and a fourth species, S. kryschtofovici from China, is considered dubious. Description Saurolophus is known from material including nearly complete skeletons, giving researchers a clear picture of its bony anatomy. S. osborni, the rarer Albertan species, was around 9.8 meters long, with its skull 1.0 meters long. S. angustirostris, the Mongolian species, was larger; the type skeleton is roughly 12 meters long, and larger remains are reported. Aside from size, the two species are virtually identical, with differentiation hindered by lack of study. The most distinctive feature of Saurolophus is its cranial crest, which is present in young individuals, but is smaller. It is long and spike-like and projects upward and backward at about a 45° angle, starting from over the eyes. This crest is often described as solid, but appears to be solid only at the point, with internal chambers that may have had a respiratory and/or heat-regulation function. The holotype of S. angustirostris is a skull and postcrania, so the cranium of the species is well-described. Bell et al. re-evaluated the entire species in a 2011 publication with Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. Their description found the skull to be generalized among hadrosaurines, and are much larger than any skulls of S. osborni. The most unusual feature for a hadrosaurine is the long, protruding, solid crest that extends upwards diagonally from the back of the skull roof. Unlike lambeosaurines, the crests are made up completely of the nasal bone. The premaxilla bones make up almost 50% of the entire skull length, and both sides are filled with small holes. Only in adult individuals has the front of the premaxillary contact been fused. Longer than the premaxilla, the nasal bones are the longest in the skull. They make up the entire length of the crest, and are never preserved as fused. In Other Media * Before being replaced by the popular demand of other hadrosaurs such ironically as the Parasaurolophus, the Saurolophus was a widely known hadrosaur in comparison to Edmontosaurus, Anatosaurus, and Trachodon. The dinosaur frequently appeared in several illustrated books, television shows/documentaries, and films. * Saurolophus made its first appearance on television in the Claymation animated show, Gumby. * Saurolophus has also made video game appearances in Dinosaur King and Fossil Fighters series. * It is also featured in the Walking with Dinosaurs special: The Giant Claw. * Ducky from the Land Before Time franchise is a young Saurolophus. Gallery *''See Saurolophus/Gallery'' Category:Hadrosaurs Category:Diapsid Reptiles Category:Herbivores Category:Large Herbivores Category:Ornithischia Category:Ornithopods Category:Archosaurs Category:Dinosaurs of North America Category:Prehistoric animals of North America Category:Prehistoric reptiles of North America Category:Cretaceous dinosaurs Category:Cretaceous animals Category:Reptiles Category:Late Cretaceous Category:Dinosaurs of Asia Category:Herbivorous Dinosaurs Category:Prehistoric Life Category:Chased by Dinosaurs Creatures Category:Dinosaurs Category:Crested dinosaurs Category:The Land Before Time Creatures Category:How Do Dinosaurs Creatures Category:Taxa named by Barnum Brown Category:Fossil taxa described in 1912 Category:Cretaceous Period Category:Mongolian dinosaur Category:Famous Dinosaurs Category:Large Animals Category:Extinct animals of North America Category:Dinosaurs from Horseshoe Canyon Category:Dinosaurs of Canada